Author: Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout's mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)

taking the kids to belize itinerary ideas

Family Travel planning: Starting to Belize we are going

February 3, 2015

I’m sorry if you cringe at this horrible title pun but it makes me smile and I’ll probably still be giggling about it long after I press the publish button so I totally can’t help myself. We are planning a trip to Belize in the spring and it’s past the point where we can still […]

there is a nearby park if you need to run the kids after you eat ice cream

Edaleen Dairy: A stop for ice cream between Vancouver and Seattle

January 29, 2015

Just like many people like to stop for ‘gas’ at Costco when really they want to check out the handbags or the makeup, the Edaleen Dairy is a great stop for ‘milk’ before you head into Canada. And by milk I mean soft serve ice cream made from milk because this place has the best […]

Because this week Tuesday still feels like Monday so here are some thoughts

January 27, 2015

Yesterday we woke up to sunshine streaming in all the windows and a record seven birds were holding onto our bird feeder for dear life while they guzzled down a twenty dollar bag of birdseed like it actually might turn wintertime over here. They also took down the 12th man flag, so I’m wondering if […]

A few travel highlights from 2014 while I plan this year’s adventures

January 23, 2015

The hardest part of starting a New Year is saying good bye to the old one, especially if it was a good one and while other people are performing cleanses of the body detox sort, I’m purging my phone of the14000 photos I’ve managed to store there in the past year because I don’t want […]

The time I was the one in the driver’s seat for a whole week

January 21, 2015

It is really nice to start the New Year out with a new toy and when I was contacted to test-drive a new Toyota Highlander Hybrid I was more than excited, especially since we’re looking for a vehicle that will be good to drive in winter through Snoqualmie Pass. I knew I had it for […]

The best cafe to wait at while your kids ski in Snoqualmie Pass (The Commonwealth, Snoqualmie Pass

January 20, 2015

There aren’t a ton of options for food in the Snoqualmie Pass area and because we’ve been there so often lately, we’ve managed to try a bunch of them and find some favorites. I love Webbs (they have a thoughtful kid’s menu) and Red mountain coffee is quite cute and has pretty inexpensive ice cream […]

A marshmallow chocolate in Vancouver I need to find before Valentine’s Day (Mink Chocolates, Vancouver, BC)

January 16, 2015

We have lots of favorite places for treats in Seattle; our general go-to favorite place to get coffee, our usual favorite place to get ice cream and then we get a little bit more specific, like if you actually want a coffee flight and have time to sit down, or if you want coffee and […]

12 or so things you might need on a Monday if you live in Seattle

January 13, 2015

How will we ever get through the week until the next big game? HOW WILL WE EVER GET THROUGH THE WEEK UNTIL THE NEXT BIG GAME? All the football games seem so big right now and I actually barely understand football and I would definitely survive the week football-free if I didn’t have a 6-year […]

Visitor Owls at Woodland Park Zoo and our first zoo visit of the New Year

January 12, 2015

Is it just me or is it also difficult for you to drag your family out of the house on a lazy Sunday afternoon? I needed to get some fresh air so I told my kids we would either go for a hike in the woods or an ‘urban hike’ at the zoo and if […]

If you love your fitbit and lose it

January 9, 2015

I am just a little jealous of all the people posting their steps in all my social media feeds. I’m counting with you, but mine are getting counted a little more manually right now. Like the 10 steps I just took while standing at my computer, I’m totally writing down. On paper. Maybe I’ll remember […]

A trip to Tacoma that will need a revisit (Tacoma Museum of Glass, Washington)

January 6, 2015

When I get an adventure in my head it’s hard to convince me otherwise, and for some reason I decided our last day of the winter break needed to happen outside of Seattle. I’ve really been wanting to see the eagles that are up near the Nooksack River in Bellingham ever since the kids had […]

An easy place to stop with kids between Seattle and Vancouver BC (Bellingham, WA)

January 5, 2015

I’ve always found Bellingham to be a great stop between Seattle and Vancouver, but it’s even more perfect now that I’ve figured out that the Whatcom Museum has free admission if you have a MOHAI family plus membership. (Oh, how I love my MOHAI membership and make sure you get the family plus if you […]

New Year’s frozen adventuring in Mercer Slough (Bellevue, Washington)

January 2, 2015

I hope 2015 will be the year of adventure. From becoming an aunt for the first time, and having trips to Tofino and California cemented in stone, and knowing the cabin will be finished sometime this year, we know there’s going to be no shortage of excitement around here for sure. So we started the […]

When your family gets sick while traveling for Christmas

December 29, 2014

So before this sounds too dramatic and cruel, we weren’t horribly sick while traveling for Chrismtas and we weren’t terribly far from home when we were traveling-Vancouver BC, our hometown is only a 3 hour drive from Seattle where we live-but I remember joking with friends over drinks a few nights before Christmas about being […]

Letting go a little so we can catch some Christmas Magic

December 22, 2014

The thing I’m learning about Christmas, is that it sneaks up on me even when I’m not ready. So this year, I’m just going to take it as it comes. And even if we don’t get everything done perfectly or if we miss out on some things, it will be okay. It will have to. […]

Something 2014 to bring into the New Year (Classpass, Seattle)

December 17, 2014

I’ve been known to complain about exercising and I definitely prefer sloth. But I’ve been trying out Classpass since my birthday and it hasn’t been horrible. I actually even signed up as a real customer after my free trial expired. The nice thing about this pass is it’s a commitment that’s non-committal so it’s perfect […]

Got a list of Starbucks loves on a Monday (Starbucks Roastery and Cafe, Seattle)

December 15, 2014

I haven’t swooned about a Starbucks in forever and I’ve even been gushing about this one to total strangers since I went the other day. The Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle is so worth visiting if you love coffee and I’m so excited that it’s finally open. Of course I had to […]

A splurge and a steal at Canada Place and some other neat things with kids in Vancouver at Christmastime

December 13, 2014

The other weekend, the hubby had to work in Vancouver and I got to tag along with the kids. So while he went into work bright and early, we woke up leisurely, had an easy breakfast in our room of cereal and milk (this was first breakfast-I had bigger plans for 2nd breakfast) and got […]

More gifts for Seattle lovers!

December 11, 2014

I already have a list of Uniquely Seattle Gifts and a list of places in Seattle where you can help others with your Christmas shopping but here are a few updates I’ve found in the last little while: Like how can you resist this adorable Seattle Luggage tag charm from Jet Set Candy?(They actually have […]

The only thing an aunt-to-be needs to buy on a Monday

December 9, 2014

Rewind me back to when my twin baby boys were born and I’d definitely be doing everything I could to find a deal to buy the city mini select stroller if only it had been invented at the time. It’s the perfect combination of our two favorite strollers in one: the city mini double which was […]